War of the Ring Review - A Lord of the Rings Wet Dream

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  • čas přidán 8. 07. 2024
  • The Lord of the Rings experience perfectly summed up as a board game, War of the Ring is the most faithful representation of the lotr trilogy to ever hit the tabletop hobby. This review covers how Middle Earth is done justice in a two player area control war game where one player controls the shadow armies and the other the free peoples. With incredibly unique dice rolling and card actions, War of the Ring does asymmetric gameplay justice in not only being balanced, but also in accurately depicting each side in how they play.
    There’s even multiple win conditions such as by military through capturing cities and strongholds, or when Frodo can either destroy the One Ring or get corrupted by it. These incredibly flavorful mechanics only get further improved when War of the Ring throws its iconic characters into the fray. Sauron is absolutely thirsty in his hunt for the ring, Gandalf can show up in Fangorn to sway the Free People Nations to fight back against Sauron, the stars of the Fellowship like Legolas, Strider, Gimli, and many more. Seasoned fighters like Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn will even add combat dice of their own during all combats, making them essential on the battlefield. The great captain of Gondor, Boromir, can even travel back to Minas Tirith defend the great city. Meanwhile the Shadow can have the Nazgul swoop in, leading their troops to battle. Of course the Mouth of Sauron can come about late game too give tons of combat reroll bonuses.
    War of the Ring produces amazing stories and pays massive homage to the incredibly moving struggles of the books and films, producing the best what-if scenarios that gets you to love Lord of the Rings even more. If you’re a LOTR fan and love board games, shut up and get War of the Ring asap, you won’t regret it. Seeing these miniatures come to life with the tabletop experience brings an all new look into Middle Earth, and a potentially new ending to what goes down at Mordor.
    Support us on Patreon:
    / shelfside
    Our Website!
    www.shelfside.co
    Purchase Games We’ve Reviewed! (Paid Link)
    amazon.com/shop/shelfside
    Table of Contents:
    Intro - (0:00)
    Overview - (1:17)
    Pros - (3:59)
    Cons - (22:18)
    Recommender Score - (27:27)
    Ashton's Personal Score - (32:33)
    Shelfside Social Media:
    / shelfsideyt
    / shelfsideyt
    / shelfsideyt
    Links to our other stuff:
    Ashton's Channel: / ashtonwu
    Daniel's Channel: / doyduh2
    Stuff Used:
    Bloodborne Soundtrack OST - Lady Maria (The Old Hunters)
    • Bloodborne Soundtrack ...
    Music provided by Royalty Free Zone: / royaltyfreezone Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/...
    #Boardgames #LordoftheRings #Review
  • Hry

Komentáře • 284

  • @Shelfside
    @Shelfside  Před 3 lety +87

    So turns out that I accidentally swapped the minis for the Witch King and Mouth of Sauron for all my playthroughs and this review! It just made more sense for the Witch King to be mounted for me, even if it wasn't on a Nazgul. Thanks to the commenters for pointing this inexperienced halfling mistake!

    • @jacobhoffman5462
      @jacobhoffman5462 Před 3 lety +14

      Do you mean mounted on a fell beast? The witch king is a nazgul

    • @matteosoldo
      @matteosoldo Před 3 lety +1

      It's great review, just used it to try to get a friend to play haha thanks

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety +1

      @@matteosoldo that's awesome to hear! enjoy the game :)

    • @sh4rk535
      @sh4rk535 Před 3 lety +1

      @@jacobhoffman5462 they used horses and fell beasts

    • @picivyvortac2641
      @picivyvortac2641 Před 2 lety +3

      Unacceptable. Unforgiven.

  • @Crovax
    @Crovax Před 3 lety +190

    a Tolkien fan should never be afraid of a wall of text so that instruction manual is thematic.

  • @johnjones6115
    @johnjones6115 Před 3 lety +270

    Game is Lord of the Rings, but the rulebook is the Silmarillion.

    • @worldofazeroth
      @worldofazeroth Před 3 lety +1

      lol!!! so true

    • @chrisperrien7055
      @chrisperrien7055 Před 3 lety +3

      There are people who have made the Simarillion - 1st/2nd Age adaptions out of this game.
      Yea, the game rules are kinda byzantine in their presentation. Once you get past that , great game.
      I still think Divine Right is the best fantasy war-game, but it is multiplayer , not 2 player.
      You would have to be "old-school" to know Divine Right, like playing basic D&D and still having a "Chain mail" rulebook. LOL
      And today "Chain -mail" is now called "War-Hammer" LOL and D&D is Warcraft

  • @Magicman1625
    @Magicman1625 Před 3 lety +36

    Opening a new board game and sorting through all the components is one of my favorite parts.

  • @janekskiba1201
    @janekskiba1201 Před 3 lety +47

    Thank you, Shut Up and Sit Down for introducing me to the timeless classic that is War of the Ring, and thank you War of the Ring, by now my favourite game of all time, for introducing me to Shelfside. I just got here, but I'm loving it

    • @chrisperrien7055
      @chrisperrien7055 Před 3 lety

      I suggest One stop Co-op shop czcams.com/video/rLq-uXGDTuo/video.html , for a great one person playthough of this game, et al. Also Dan Thorpe czcams.com/video/m6hLcLkCXdY/video.html for many TTS playthroughs. I hope "Shelfside" doesn't mind me linking to other boardgame sites. My motives are not commercial/promotional , only to link board-gamers across the net.

    • @-boardgamesanook6590
      @-boardgamesanook6590 Před 2 lety +2

      Exactly how it happened to me

  • @CitizenRare
    @CitizenRare Před 3 lety +54

    This was the review that got me to buy this game and for that.... thank you! My girlfriend who is a huge LoTR fan and I play almost every week now. Thanks for bringing us into this awesome experience.

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety +4

      hey man that's so awesome! The game really gives so much back to us LotR fans. The big question is: who has a higher win rate, you or the GF? :) -Ashton

    • @CitizenRare
      @CitizenRare Před 3 lety +5

      @@Shelfside My girlfriend has actually been destroying me haha, I’ve only won a single time, she’s won I think seven now 😭

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety +1

      @@CitizenRare ahaha, keep going at it! New strategies just come up all the time in this game, its awesome -Ashton

    • @abesapien9930
      @abesapien9930 Před rokem

      Wow, that's quite a cool girlfriend

  • @pyroman2918
    @pyroman2918 Před 3 lety +17

    Probably my most favorite board game of all time. I've played it about 20 times.

  • @lianomaru
    @lianomaru Před 2 lety +2

    Excellent review! Really easy to follow and great editing! I have watched many reviews for this game, and yours is the first one that made me understand the mechanics completly. 🙂 Keep up the good work!

  • @KZsZs
    @KZsZs Před 3 lety +14

    Thanks for the detailed, thematic (love the use of the original voice tracks from the movies) and just overally well-made review. I find it muuuuuch more helpful to understand the feel and the inner workings of this game than any other video I have seen about it. Also I just rewatched the entire trilogy yesterday with my wife and I am hyped once again, like a kid finding the once favorite, long time lost toy behind the wardrobe. This game was always on my radar, but now it just jumped right into my focus, like the ring using Frodo to the always watching Eye of Sauron. Once again I can whisper "I see you" to this box. Thanks again, subscribed!

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety +3

      may you enjoy all of the detailed pieces of Middle Earth duking it out in front of you! Thanks for the awesome praise! Every time I watch any clip from the LotR trilogy, I am like you, transported to a time where Middle Earth becomes 100% real and the westfold has fallen. Cheers! -Ashton

  • @chrisc1625
    @chrisc1625 Před 3 lety +1

    Outstanding review. You are becoming one of my favorite channels. Glad I found you guys...

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety

      thanks chris! Glad you love the content, more stuff coming soon for ya :) -Ashton

  • @rafhalimaxd
    @rafhalimaxd Před 3 lety +40

    This is my favourite game. Just wish any of my friends wanted to play it :(

    • @turian1moose
      @turian1moose Před 3 lety +5

      I know that pain

    • @northlakeghost
      @northlakeghost Před 3 lety +2

      I've never played it, for this very reason. Need an intrepid game buddy lol.

    • @alannash2778
      @alannash2778 Před 3 lety +11

      Please pray for me, I am about to introduce this game to my girlfriend.

    • @rafhalimaxd
      @rafhalimaxd Před 3 lety +1

      @@alannash2778 That would be huge

    • @quickpert1382
      @quickpert1382 Před 3 lety +1

      Yeah...is bad, no one wants because is too long and hard for them...the online way is shit...so u can let it to be full of dust or play solo xd..

  • @-boardgamesanook6590
    @-boardgamesanook6590 Před 3 lety

    I love your production! Superb quality and excellent editing. Not many bg channels reach this level of quality. Subscribed!

  • @Wallach_a
    @Wallach_a Před 3 lety

    Really appreciate your thoroughness and your enthusiasm. 🙌🏼

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety

      appreciate it! More reviews always coming as well :D -Ashton

  • @Magicman1625
    @Magicman1625 Před 3 lety +9

    I've never been lucky enough to own or try this game but I have been watching it for years. It looks like a dream!

  • @phoenixhazard
    @phoenixhazard Před 3 lety +33

    This game is exactly like D&D. AMazing but need friends :(

    • @Thebeggerknight
      @Thebeggerknight Před 3 lety +1

      You only need 1

    • @chrisperrien7055
      @chrisperrien7055 Před 3 lety +1

      Try venturing into Table Top Simulatior (TTS) or Java versions of this game, you can play online with 1000's of people and 100's of online conversions of other boardgames . I am just getting into TTS. With much of the Covid/Wuhan Flu restrictions going around , there is a big movement towards playing "boardgames " online. You'll find some friends there

  • @BigLowry
    @BigLowry Před 3 lety +2

    Really awesome content as always. Always excited when I see a new one up from you guys. Keep it up!

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety +1

      Thanks for the feedback yo! More content headed everyone's way :D -Ashton

  • @Vaultboy-ke2jj
    @Vaultboy-ke2jj Před 3 lety +7

    Absolutely love the clips from the movies in this review!
    One of my favourite games ever

  • @alannash2778
    @alannash2778 Před 3 lety +8

    I am so happy you took a stab at reviewing this game. It has been a love of mine for a long time. I bought the first edition back when I was in high school just because it had a LotR theme. When I actually got around to playing it properly ten years later, I noticed that the second edition had come out. I upgraded and have thoroughly enjoyed each playthrough. I’m sure that I would love the expansions but I might not play it enough to justify the cost especially since I have The Battle of Five Armies as well. If you do go for the expansions, please let me know what you think of them!

    • @iamglyph1369
      @iamglyph1369 Před 3 lety +2

      Lords of Middle-Earth is an auto-include in my games.

  • @Ner-vod
    @Ner-vod Před 2 lety

    First video I clicked on after having my interest peaked in this game. Half way through and I'm sold! Great video for a great game!

  • @leostmark
    @leostmark Před 3 lety

    Great review. It's really whetted my appetite to pluck up the courage and get this game out again sometime soon. Thanks.

  • @christofersvensson370
    @christofersvensson370 Před 2 lety +4

    Great review! I recently got the game and agree fully that the minis can be hard to tell appart. I painted the bases different colors before my first playthrough and it helps vastly.

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 2 lety +1

      Awesome that you got a chance to try this bad boy out! It just keeps getting better the more you play honestly. For Frodo! -Ashton

  • @shirtlessdave9067
    @shirtlessdave9067 Před 2 lety +3

    You have managed to top SU&SD's review of the game, I've owned this game for years and played it dozens of times, and you make me just want to play again.

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 2 lety +1

      awesome man! I need to play this one again! Also heard that there's a card version coming out that I'm super hyped for -Ashton

  • @orbitsurvey9612
    @orbitsurvey9612 Před 3 lety +7

    Really enjoyed this review! You already sold me on the LCG a few weeks ago and am loving it! Would love to see your thoughts on Journeys In Middle Earth. It’s my favourite game so far! Cheers

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety +2

      awesome that the LCG has been going well for you! Not sure on Journeys of Middle Earth, since we're really swamped with campaign games as is, but I do love me any excuse for more LotR! Maybe one day :) -Ashton

  • @listentosilverfish
    @listentosilverfish Před 3 lety +5

    This was the first big game I bought when I got into board games like 7 years ago.

    • @fatbean2000
      @fatbean2000 Před 3 lety

      This is one of mine first two I got both of the expansion too

  • @oddball_hb
    @oddball_hb Před 3 lety +7

    I fuckin love when people learn that this game exists. It's such an incredible game.

  • @christopherlarry6766
    @christopherlarry6766 Před 3 lety +1

    I enjoyed this video especially the intro. I been playing this game for 2 years and enjoy it. Best way to play is having lord of the ring soundtrack on. Also thanks to your video on war of the ring I probably wouldn’t have found your channel.

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety

      samwise gangee is the best character! Lord of the rings soundtrack is truly the way to go. Glad to have you aboard! -Ashton

  • @grantkrick6005
    @grantkrick6005 Před 3 lety +19

    Did you listen to the entire Lord of the Rings soundtrack while playing though?
    If not you need to call your aunt for another game. This is important

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety +4

      aaagggggh noooo I forgot... well I'll have to call her up and say we have an emergency to take care of -Ashton

    • @grantkrick6005
      @grantkrick6005 Před 3 lety +1

      @@Shelfside It's going to change you. You won't be the same hobbit you once were.

    • @grantprice9768
      @grantprice9768 Před 3 lety +1

      A must

  • @DennisCNolasco
    @DennisCNolasco Před 3 lety +7

    This game is amazing. I even played it a few times solo just to create my own story of the Lord of the Rings.

  • @sithtv1298
    @sithtv1298 Před 3 lety +2

    I love your reviews!

  • @larrygarms7230
    @larrygarms7230 Před 3 lety

    Awesome review!! And I'm with ya!
    Would love to see/hear your take on Kingdom Death Monster.

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety +1

      Thanks! oh man KDM looks so awesome to play, and Daniel wanted to grab a copy one day. It's on our list! -Ashton

  • @haydengibbons5000
    @haydengibbons5000 Před 3 lety +2

    Love this Review, it's my favourite game! Just so you know, the cards you mention at 20:36 can be played before the fellowship reaches the mordor track. The tiles are just set aside for now
    edit: I don't find the locations to be that much of a problem, after a game or two they become pretty recognizable, but still a bit annoying. My first game took 3.5 hours and my second took 4.5. Also, RTFM has a great how to play video

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety

      I think you were one of the commenters on the Heroquest vid that recommended this game too! I pretty much have all the locations referenced on the cards memorized by now, it was definitely really rough for my aunt and I on our first game though.
      Yep, the cards can be played before the mordor track, great catch! I just simplified what it said for the video :) -Ashton

    • @haydengibbons5000
      @haydengibbons5000 Před 3 lety

      @@Shelfside I think I commented on the kickstarter video where the rulebook was shown. Absolutely love the content you guys are making, keep it up!

  • @nuggets1356
    @nuggets1356 Před 10 měsíci

    i just found your channel a few days ago. i really enjoy your content so far as im finding games through these reviews that i might actually enjoy but never knew of before. This game however ive been eyeballing for a long time but never pulled the trigger as on most sites it goes for almost 100 dollars. I see its on sale now on most of the sites i buy board games from so i thought maybe id pick it up now.
    I know this video is older but i gotta say im thankful it exists because i helped me decide not to buy it after watching the cons portion. I guess cards referring to certain places on the board wouldnt be so bad once i learn the board layout and where things are but i find that would be a huge pain for my first few games, and what really put me off was the rule book and player aids. Looks like a fun game otherwise but ive bought my fair share of games where the rule book is all over the place and ive rarely played those games that now sit on my shelf collecting dust. wouldnt want to spend 76 bucks on this game just for it to be another mage knight for me sitting on my shelf never getting played more than once.
    Anywho, thanks for the video. You saved me some money lol

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 10 měsíci

      Heyo! glad to help :)
      You could look at the card game for a more streamlined experience, that DEFINITELY has a better rulebook than this one. The board game just has so much ugly stuff that makes the effort to play gargantuan. Cheers! -Ashton

  • @Mizerofws
    @Mizerofws Před rokem

    That mini at 5:00 looks pretty excited to play.

  • @trickynumber7
    @trickynumber7 Před 3 lety +1

    Great review. Hoping to pick this up sometime. But always thinking between this Rebellion.

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety +2

      Rebellion review coming out in a month or two :) -Ashton

  • @randallshaw9609
    @randallshaw9609 Před 3 lety +6

    As a long-time gamer (started in 1968) who cut his teeth on rule books with 20+ pages filled with small font text for decades, I find the complaints about the rules hereabouts...humorous. ;^)

    • @iamglyph1369
      @iamglyph1369 Před 3 lety +1

      They really aren't too bad and printable rules references make everything hum along quite smoothly.

    • @iRsemple
      @iRsemple Před 3 lety

      What do you mean by "cut your teeth"?

    • @randallshaw9609
      @randallshaw9609 Před 3 lety +1

      @@iRsemple Means I got my first experience at reading (serious) game rules with those large, exception-riddled, complex wargame rules.

  • @spartanFox_LadyFoxGames

    This intro is so good i come back and watch it once a year haha

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před rokem

      dang. Thanks mate! Was super fun making it -Ashton

  • @RedKytten
    @RedKytten Před 3 lety

    One of my favourate games, since it came out. Had 1st edition for it too.

  • @joseg.6187
    @joseg.6187 Před 3 lety

    Awesome video, this game has 6 years in my shelf of shame but going no where! I would love feedback on the expansion content. As to 2 player games, I would love a look at Blitzkrieg (20 min WW2)

  • @TheShapingSickness
    @TheShapingSickness Před 2 lety +1

    Loved all the voice lines I can tell exactly where they're from man I love LOTR so much. I bought this game to play with my brother but he'll visit until August, I can't wait.

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 2 lety

      yoo awesome! Yeah love LOTR so much, you will keep thinking about the movie when you get to your game! Just make sure you got the rules right bahaha -Ashton

    • @TheShapingSickness
      @TheShapingSickness Před 2 lety

      @@Shelfside I'm sure I won't get the rules right, but at least we'll be blasting the soundtrack while playing 😂

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 2 lety +1

      @@TheShapingSickness ahaha that's more than half the fun! Had much fun drooling over ME with those tunes -Ashton

  • @1_Brick_At_A_Time
    @1_Brick_At_A_Time Před 3 lety

    Wow cool!!! Love your video!

  • @PaulMB40
    @PaulMB40 Před 2 lety

    A beautifully presented, clear and concise review.
    I blame you personally for making me buy it.

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 2 lety +1

      awesome and thank you! May you roll many 6's! -Ashton

  • @Lickicker
    @Lickicker Před 3 lety +3

    id love to have this just for a collectors item

  • @bigmull
    @bigmull Před 3 lety +6

    I have been Wargaming for over 40 years and this game's Rule Book is one of the best i have come across.

    • @tacktful
      @tacktful Před 3 lety

      Yeah must say I found it easy to learn from

  • @Coriea13
    @Coriea13 Před 3 lety +2

    Good video, love this game. I'd give a 10/10 but your Cons of the game are definitely legit. If those don't particularly bother you though, the game is near perfect mechanic and thematically.
    18:46 You have swapped the figures for the Witch King and Mouth of Sauron. The figure on the horse is the Mouth. The guy standing with the sword is the Witch King.

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety +1

      wow that's a great catch! I didn't even second guess myself, just thought that the witch king being mounted was the most logical, even if his mount wasn't Nazgul. Thanks :) -Ashton

  • @TheMedianGam3r
    @TheMedianGam3r Před 3 lety +2

    Masterpiece of a game, just wished I could play it more often. My friends are more into Gloomhaven nowadays and kdm

    • @CBs_Bill_from_Montana
      @CBs_Bill_from_Montana Před 3 lety

      Which is better? WOTR, Gloomhaven, or KDM? I own all 3 but have never played WOTR.

  • @evannadeau3938
    @evannadeau3938 Před 3 lety

    This might be wrong but you posted a War of the Ring review on my birthday!? And its an awesome review!? SUBSCRIBED. Your videos rock guys. Also, I've owned this game forever and can't get anyone to sit down and play it with me haha FML but I'll never get rid of it because um LOTR

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety

      lotr is all the excuse you need- it looks great on the shelf! Happy bleated birthday! -Ashton

  • @g8kpr3000
    @g8kpr3000 Před 2 lety +1

    Now, which i need a video on War of the Ring vs Star Wars Rebellion, I need to know which game to drop $100 cdn on, so that it can sit on my shelf unplayed for the next 8 years while I say "maybe this year.... maybe..."

  • @Evoken111
    @Evoken111 Před 3 lety

    One of the best reviews of War of the Ring! :)

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety +1

      cheers man! Got more WOTR stuff coming out soon :) -Ashton

  • @goddamnshutup
    @goddamnshutup Před 3 lety +1

    regarding the models, i recommend replacing a majority of them. i ended up painting the companions, the minions, and the Nazgûl and replacing every other mini with wooden cubes/discs/cylinders of various colors appropriate to each faction. i find it plays so much better and setup/teardown time is so much improved. i think it probably makes the game easier to teach but i couldn't say since it was the first thing i did so i've never had to slog through it with all the awful minis. i've also gone beyond that and picked up models for the cities/strongholds and mountains but i like this game that much.

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety +1

      wow I've never even thought about swapping out the minis for other pieces! Would definitely make the game so much faster. What type of models for the cities/strongholds would you recommend? I might pick up some :) -Ashton

    • @goddamnshutup
      @goddamnshutup Před 3 lety

      @@Shelfside there are some good ones on Etsy but they’re pretty expensive. if you have a friend with a 3D printer, there are some great files. for the wooden components, i just matched the colors of each nation with pieces from meeplesource.

  • @SolarCrusader
    @SolarCrusader Před rokem

    I’d love to have the chance to play this game, but I think the size and scale of the game & rules make it intimidating to most casual players.
    I recently got the war of the ring card game and I really enjoyed playing it. Very fast setup and takedown time to get the game going, and it was pretty easy to jump in and start playing after learning the rules.
    Hopefully one day I can play the board game itself!

  • @jensmaier8289
    @jensmaier8289 Před 3 lety

    Awesome video !

  • @darkgokussj
    @darkgokussj Před 3 lety +3

    Been playing this game since 2013 and we still find rules and mechanics that we've missed. Tiny and not really game changing, but still there are really small details easy to miss. So many games need to be played to get this game fully.
    1v1 usually is the best, but 2v2 is also fun. 1v2 should be avoided, since free people player gets to play alone.

    • @iamglyph1369
      @iamglyph1369 Před 3 lety

      1v2 is really fun in my experience.

    • @darkgokussj
      @darkgokussj Před 3 lety

      @@iamglyph1369 In all honesty it is really fun no matter how you play it so yeah :D

  • @robertthurman9866
    @robertthurman9866 Před 8 měsíci

    Everything except the playmat should arrive tomorrow. I found 3 AI bots (2 shadow 1 free people) 1 of which is a browser app for the shadow. Thanks for another great review. As well as likes and dislikes you describe how it feels to play the game. Something many reviewers never get a hold of.

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 8 měsíci

      wow! Awesome. Hope your game goes great :) -Ashton

  • @johncantone40
    @johncantone40 Před 2 lety

    I just got this game. Cant wait to play

  • @PhoenixRiseinFlame
    @PhoenixRiseinFlame Před 4 měsíci

    This game is incredible. One of the things I love about it is that every, and I mean every, action can have an affect on who wins the game.
    One time I separated Gimli and placed him in Lorien. He was pretty much useless for most of the game. But when I was about to lose to a shadow player stronghold victory, I used the “a day and a night” card and some movement actions to take back Helm’s Deep and buy myself enough time to destroy the ring next turn.
    My most recent game ended on the last stage of the Mordor track when the light player drew a three corruption tile which killed him before he could destroy the ring.
    This game somehow takes the phrase “it hangs upon the edge of a knife, stray but a little and it will fail” and makes it a reality in a board game.
    I’ve never played anything like it.

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 4 měsíci

      that is awesome! Yeah the rich stories that happen to the named characters is something you don't see in a lot of other games. thanks for sharing! -Ashton

  • @wotrgames4024
    @wotrgames4024 Před 3 lety +2

    Great review! The best game of all time, though I may be a bit bias. The worst thing about this fantastic game really is just the setup and clean up, and the rare games where you just roll very badly the whole game. If you get familiar with the game enough, games are actually on average 1.5 - 2 hours too!

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety +1

      wow. 1.5 -2 hours!? That's incredible. I have a game actually coming up tomorrow, super excited to see how it goes. I could see myself playing this every month if is 2 hours -Ashton

  • @2532robh1
    @2532robh1 Před rokem

    Amazing job. I just purchased. Did you ever try the expansions? I wonder if there are better rulebook or player aids on BGG or upgraded components to buy online like Meeplesource?

  • @cant_handle_deeznuts
    @cant_handle_deeznuts Před 3 lety

    I feel like they could give the little statues and map a bit more detail, apart from that it looks great!

  • @tothepanels
    @tothepanels Před 11 měsíci

    13:20 cannot change a die with a ring to a will of the west
    20:30 only beige eyes are used with special tiles in the hunt box
    Just a friendly remainder in case someone used this reference as rule when the video is more demonstrative

  • @vijairamdeensingh3008
    @vijairamdeensingh3008 Před 3 lety +1

    Looks good...I played the LOTR Risk ...really good game

  • @eldadoobscuro
    @eldadoobscuro Před rokem

    Excellent video!! 😎👍

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před rokem +1

      hey thank you! More stuff coming for the WOTR card game :D -Ashton

  • @Hudsonbba
    @Hudsonbba Před 3 lety

    Great review as always! My first play through also took really long but not 10 hours long lol. Though i really like this game it’s a little too fiddley to take out as often as I’d like. I know the this gets compared often Rebellion and while I enjoy the stories LotR more than Star Wars I heavily prefer Rebellion, with its expansion of course, over War of the Ring. Also you have the coolest Aunt in the world by far!

    • @Orthovandro
      @Orthovandro Před 3 lety

      Interesting, I take a different view. Enjoy both games but War of the Ring is my preferred choice. Whilst both are thematic, WotR I find is just more replayable.

    • @Hudsonbba
      @Hudsonbba Před 3 lety +2

      @@Orthovandro Absolutely agree War of the Ring is a more replayable game, especially with it's expansions as well, however, out of the 10 or more times I've played it only 3 of those times were with the same person who as matter of fact was a huge lotr fantatic and would constantly quote the films. The other times I've played it with people, who also played Rebellion, also vastly preferred Rebellion.

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety

      Thank you! The multiple sessions definitely added onto the playtime, plus my aunt was new to these types of games ahaha. Rebellion has been on my radar, but for the price tag it doesn't seem nearly as replayable as WoTR, and I don't get to play this awesome long game enough as is. Maybe after the pandemic Daniel and I will give it a go! -Ashton

    • @Hudsonbba
      @Hudsonbba Před 3 lety

      @@Shelfside Haha don't get me wrong. While I agree WotR is a more repayable game based on the content it has, especially if you don't own that many games, I have played Rebellion nearly 30 times and every single one of those plays were different and many a times more enjoyable than the last. Just remember though playing with the expansion is a must due to the changes in combat.

  • @RagdollRalph
    @RagdollRalph Před rokem

    I think you are using the Mouth of Sauron mini as the Witch King xD

  • @jimmythebusdriver
    @jimmythebusdriver Před 3 lety

    I still have the First edition of this game plus the expansion (which lumped both 2nd edition expansions together back then, minus a couple things) and it's probably the game I played the most since it came out as it's easily the best game in my collection. Even though the first few games are tough, you always wanna start another round because you feel like you could do something slightly different next time!
    I have played the three player variant a few times as well, where it splits the Shadow faction into Sauron and Saruman + Easterling, and it's fine, but I would rather either play with an even number of players because the lopsided games didn't feel good for either side really. Still a good gamemode, but there's better three player games out there.
    Also nice to see they made the cards bigger for the 2nd edition as the 1st edition cards are printed so small I had to get glasses just to read them :D

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety

      I totally feel you on the always wanting to start another round! The strategy cards have so many uses that whenever I play them, I'm thinking about all the cool other ways I could've used them. And then there's the two factions' decks to account for, with politics! I think I would play this game with 4 players once to just try it and talk about how it went, and then promptly go back to 2p :) -Ashton

  • @A._J_.
    @A._J_. Před 2 lety

    Just got this bad boy and found the BGG example of play to ease into this.

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 2 lety

      yep! It's super helpful, really had to lean on that to get my first playthroughs running -Ashton

  • @BassWakil
    @BassWakil Před 3 lety

    Great review!!!!

    • @BassWakil
      @BassWakil Před 3 lety

      I agree with everything. When I first tried to play the game I gave 3 hours and if I had known how arcane the rule book was and how long set up was, I would’ve given more time. Literally took us 90minutes first time to even take the first round. But it’s worth it.
      Also, my favourite way to play it is SIX players. 3v3 team. One player controls the armies, the other characters and the third factions. Makes the game a lot easier to learn and get into and it’s a lot of fun to have teammates. :)

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety

      Oh my goodness how long does that 6 player game take!!!?? The game is definitely really tricky to teach, it took me a similar amount of time to get my first round going. -Ashton

  • @georgekabiris9655
    @georgekabiris9655 Před 3 lety +2

    Awesome game! Lookin forward to buying it. Thanks for the review

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety +1

      you will love the game if you love LotR! Rulebook is worth it. Glad that you liked the review! -Ashton

    • @georgekabiris9655
      @georgekabiris9655 Před 3 lety

      @@Shelfside Do you where I can get this game for a good price? Thanks in advance.

  • @bastianvillebro6420
    @bastianvillebro6420 Před 3 lety

    This game is one of the best games I’ve ever played it’s just so exiting and awesome
    Also HUGE LotR fan great vid guys:)

  • @monoludico6166
    @monoludico6166 Před 3 lety +4

    One of my top 2 board games of all time. Incredibly good adaptation of Tolkien's world for a game!

    • @hawk992
      @hawk992 Před 3 lety +1

      Which one is the other game? :-)

    • @JainaSoloB312
      @JainaSoloB312 Před rokem

      Which other game is in your top 2?

    • @monoludico6166
      @monoludico6166 Před rokem

      @@hawk992 it's difficult to make a top, but as for now I'd say Root, Race for the Galaxy, Through the Ages, Twilight Struggle or Troyes could be #2

    • @monoludico6166
      @monoludico6166 Před rokem

      @@JainaSoloB312I'd have said #1 period. The rest of my top 10 is... Well, the rest

  • @Table.Fables
    @Table.Fables Před rokem

    At 19:11 you mention that Mouth of Sauron comes out if Aragorn is in play. I don’t remember reading this in the rules… have I missed something?
    Overall top review though, and I absolutely loved this game when I tried it!

  • @trosty9921
    @trosty9921 Před 3 lety

    Highly recommend painting the factions bases different colors. It helps immensely.

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety

      Will have to do that before my next game! Any recommendations for colors? -Ashton

    • @trosty9921
      @trosty9921 Před 3 lety

      @@Shelfside I did yellow for Isengard, Mordor red, Easterlings orange, dwarves brown, elves light green, Gondor dark blue, rohan dark green and North light blue. It went surprisingly faster than I thought and was totally worth it. Good luck!

  • @waferjuice
    @waferjuice Před 3 lety

    Which is better? This game or Hannibal vs Hamilcar ??

  • @dcal12
    @dcal12 Před 3 lety

    Great video and game

  • @iamglyph1369
    @iamglyph1369 Před 3 lety

    My favorite game and one of my rare 10/10 ratings. However, indicating it's primarily an area control game is somewhat misleading, as the Free Peoples can win without controlling much area at all.

  • @Kili121416
    @Kili121416 Před 3 lety

    Your passionate review made me want to get this game on the table again. I have the second edition cards. Do you know what changes they made ?

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 2 lety

      oh hey just saw this! I've heard that it is definitely worth it to get the 2nd edition cards, for balance and they cleaned up a lot of the wording! -AShton

    • @Kili121416
      @Kili121416 Před 2 lety

      @@Shelfside Thanks

  • @joshuabduck4986
    @joshuabduck4986 Před 15 dny

    Can i get clarification at 15:59 . You mentioned an opening hand of four cards. I read through the manual and googled for the answer but the only response i got was your initial hand is only 2 cards, one from each event deck. Can someone chime in with the answer?

  • @warpaint9385
    @warpaint9385 Před 3 lety

    Great game but I rarely get it to the table because of the set up time and game length.

  • @nickcalderon2637
    @nickcalderon2637 Před 2 lety

    11:39 Correction, the final battle was at The Black Gate, which is located in the territory of Morannon.

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 2 lety +1

      aah! Thanks for that, I actually did not know that. Cheers! -Ashton

    • @nickcalderon2637
      @nickcalderon2637 Před 2 lety

      @@Shelfside Cheers mate.

  • @abruwer08
    @abruwer08 Před 3 lety

    Readers of the books have distinct advantage mainly because Tolkien spatially connect story to the map so well and the movies don't really do this. The rule book is a beast. Not sure if you will be able to write a better one mainly because there are some weird mechanics in the game that makes it difficult. I have found though that it gets much easier on a second read through. I haven't taught it to someone yet mainly because the pandemic interfered, sigh.

    • @cyberpimp29
      @cyberpimp29 Před 3 lety +1

      Here is a full playthrough - you would be amazed all the nuance to the rules. But once you get moving, the game goes faster than you would imagine:
      czcams.com/video/-Vk0rS2xhD8/video.html

  • @Tivizzz
    @Tivizzz Před 3 lety +5

    Fantastic use of relevant memes in the introduction.

  • @rockandmetaljunkie
    @rockandmetaljunkie Před 2 lety

    If Frodo & Sam are left alone to continue their journey towards Mordor (no companions left & gollum as a guide), then how many eyes does the Shadow player put in the hunt box? only one?
    If Frodo & Sam enter Mordor with NO companions left, (with Gollum as their guide) how many 'eye' dice is the Shadow player allowed to put into his hunt box?

  • @UnCompress_
    @UnCompress_ Před 3 lety +1

    This game is epic, and the best thing is that it gets even better after more gameplay! Whooooe

  • @lugo8824
    @lugo8824 Před 19 dny

    I bought base markers for the figures. That solves the "crap, is that a Rohan unit or Gondor?" And I hate the give basic dice the game comes with. So I went and bought two sets of 30 dice which look much better. The free people's white and blue rice with red pips which to me represents the three elven rings, Vilya, Nenya and Narya. The shadow dice are red and black with gold pips which to me represent the fire of Mount Doom, the growing shadows from Mordor and the One Ring.

  • @Iamwrongbut
    @Iamwrongbut Před 3 lety +3

    Would love to see you guys review Spirit Island! It’s the best 1, 2, 3, and 4 player game I’ve ever played!

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety +2

      it's on the list to review eventually! -Ashton

    • @Iamwrongbut
      @Iamwrongbut Před 3 lety +1

      @@Shelfside so pumped! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the asymmetry of the spirits, especially with what Jagged Earth added!

    • @TummyRubz
      @TummyRubz Před 3 lety

      @@Shelfside I highly recommend playing it as a 1 player game first, then teach to someone else and play 2 player and keep expanding the player count as more people get familiar with it. If you jump into playing 3+ new players straight away the experience might be so overwhelming that the first impressions could leave a really bad taste in your mouth as the game will be a big brain drain. It's one of my favourite games, hope you cover it someday!

  • @lukeanzilotti9090
    @lukeanzilotti9090 Před rokem

    @Shelfside can you do a video on the expansions more in depth?

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před rokem

      oof, that will be super rough for me. The card game will certainly get a review though! -Ashton

    • @lukeanzilotti9090
      @lukeanzilotti9090 Před rokem

      @@Shelfside why rough?

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před rokem

      @@lukeanzilotti9090 kind of a long endeavor ahaha -Ashton

  • @elqord.1118
    @elqord.1118 Před 2 lety +1

    It’s a damn shame that the cards have no illustrations

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 2 lety

      coming from Star Wars Rebellion as of recently... which uses plenty of cards in a similar stressful manner... its a HUGE shame. Actually hurts a fair amount of the immersion in comparison to star wars -Ashton

  • @negoc78
    @negoc78 Před rokem

    WHAT AN INTRO!

  • @Killtrobal
    @Killtrobal Před 3 lety

    You will love Lords of Midle Earth. Get that Expa first, no doubt. warriors can me a little too much.

  • @smokeybeefroarus1497
    @smokeybeefroarus1497 Před 7 měsíci

    This is epic!!

  • @edroseptic9442
    @edroseptic9442 Před 3 lety

    I really....
    ...really want this game

  • @sairam71
    @sairam71 Před 3 lety

    What was the best way you found to learn their game. It’s a beast.

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety +1

      I went in with sheer brute force. I read the rulebook for two nights before bed before playing my actual first game. Then, after my first game, I read the rulebook again.
      Don't do that- there's probably some type of YT tutorial that would do the trick! And then study the BGG turn by turn guide before your first game. If you have any more questions, I can answer! The game is really worth the learning curve! -Ashton

  • @hanng1242
    @hanng1242 Před 3 lety +1

    You might like "Star Wars: Rebellion," which is Star Wars (original trilogy) in a box.

  • @TheLagendex
    @TheLagendex Před 3 lety

    I will paint the heck out of those minis just for thematic purposes

  • @darthknight1
    @darthknight1 Před 3 lety

    What scale are the minis? 28mm? 25mm?

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety

      just took a measurement for an elf elite mini and got:
      base diameter: 19mm
      height (including base): 32mm
      hope that helps! -Ashton

    • @darthknight1
      @darthknight1 Před 3 lety

      @@Shelfside Thanks for the reply, Ashton. Not bad. I was going to hazard a guess that these were on a smaller scale, but at 32mm these could also serve double duty in tabletop RPGs. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety

      @@darthknight1 cheers to you too for the holidays! You could definitely have the goblins/orcs/trolls fill a lot of RPG enemies, and then the fellowship minis could even pass for full characters (or you could just port in LOTR characters into your RPG :D) -Ashton

  • @joshmcilroy603
    @joshmcilroy603 Před 3 lety +3

    I'd love to see War of the Ring vs Star Wars Rebellion - your thoughts on what's the greatest 2 player big IP game haha

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety +3

      Looks like I'll have to do that eventually after the pandemic ends! -Ashton

  • @davidhughmiller
    @davidhughmiller Před 3 lety

    Why is The Two Towers in “Fullscreen”?

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety

      aagggh! I know, I hate it! It's my family's copy, and they hate wide screen for some really odd reason -Ashton

  • @BloodyAltar
    @BloodyAltar Před 3 lety +2

    You mistook the Mouth with the Witch-King, lol, just like me.

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety +1

      ahaha yeah I thought that the Witch King made more sense to be mounted, even if it wasn't on Nazgul. Thanks for the catch! -Ashton

    • @philippbehn59
      @philippbehn59 Před 3 lety +1

      I did the same mistake, when watching the review :D The videogame "The Rise of the Witchking" an expansion for Battle of Middle Earth 2 is the reason for this. In the Angmar campaign the Witchking is mounted on a horse.

  • @st0ox
    @st0ox Před 3 lety

    Is there a digital version?

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před 3 lety

      I've played it on Tabletop Simulator, but the experience is nowhere near the real life version for me. I really like the giant board, moving the pieces, and especially rolling the dice. You don't have to worry about setup or takedown though with TTS! -Ashton

    • @st0ox
      @st0ox Před 3 lety

      @@Shelfside I love this game, painted the minitures... However I don't really have a friend willing to play this game and since the pandemic I play more board games online. Therefore I am asking.

  • @user-iu5fb5hu9n
    @user-iu5fb5hu9n Před 3 lety +1

    I thought you said that the bottom of the politics tracker was "Al Gore" instead of "at war". I had to do a double take and rewind.

  • @yourilicht631
    @yourilicht631 Před rokem

    Hello! Are you going to give us your thoughts on the war of the ring card game? :)

    • @Shelfside
      @Shelfside  Před rokem +1

      Yep, I'm filming it right now :) -Ashton